Sheffield Sharks target ninth straight victory

Harry Hamling

Sheffield Sharks aim to extend their eight match unbeaten run tonight when they welcome eighth place Plymouth Raiders to the EIS Sheffield (7.30pm.)

They have been on a sensational run recently, racking up eight straight wins in all competitions, with victories over Manchester Giants and Leeds Force in the last few weeks. Their run has seen them soar up the table into fourth place on 22 points, just 14 points behind leaders Newcastle Eagles with two games in hand, and also sees them advance into the quarter-finals of the BBL trophy.

Sharks come into the game against Raiders after a 93-70 win against Giants, after a brilliant performance by MVP on the night Kyle Odister, who racked up 22 points to lead Sharks to victory. Star man Jerrold Brooks continued his excellent form, scoring 19 points and creating eight assists to make his way into the BBL All Star Five for another week.

Opponents Plymouth Raiders come into Friday’s game sitting in eighth place after a fairly inconsistent run of form, winning three out of their last seven games. Raiders will be looking to bounce back with a win after their narrow defeat last Sunday to Leicester Riders 80-90.

Player-Coach Daryl Corletto will be looking to improve his side’s defensive weaknesses before facing the free-scoring Sharks.

Sharks’ coach Atiba Lyons will want key man TJ Robinson to exploit Raiders’ leaky defence and start racking up big scores for Sharks. Robinson, known for his height and prowess in the key, will be looking to add to his already impressive points tally for this season and bring home another victory for Sharks fans.

A win for Sharks could see them move to just two points of Leicester Riders and widen the gap between themselves and fifth place Glasgow Rocks to six points, whereas a win for Raiders will see them move up to joint sixth and put a gap between them and last place Manchester Giants.